A Review on Soft Error Correcting Techniques of Aerospace-Grade Static RAM-Based Field-Programmable Gate Arrays

Abstract

Aerospace-grade SRAM-based field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) used in space applications are highly susceptible to single event effects, leading to soft errors in FPGAs. Additionally, as FPGAs scale up, the difficulty of correcting soft errors also increases. This paper proposes that performing soft error sensitivity analysis on FPGAs can help target the more sensitive areas for detection and correction, thereby improving the efficiency of soft error repair. Firstly, in accordance with the dual-layer architecture of SRAM-based FPGAs, methods for the soft error sensitivity analysis of FPGA application layer resources and configuration bitstreams are reviewed. Subsequently, based on the analysis results, it also covers corresponding application layer memory scrubbing and configuration scrubbing techniques. A prospective look at emerging soft error mitigation technologies is discussed at the end of this review, supporting the development of highly reliable aerospace-grade SRAM-based FPGAs.

Keywords

• SRAM-based FPGA
• sensitivity analysis
• configuration scrubbing
• memory scrubbing